


No Good Choice

by Mythwine



Category: Thor - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dark, Community: norsekink, Evil Cultural Traditions, Frigga's A+ Parenting, Gen, How Dark is this AU? You'd rather live in Hela's realm than Asgard, Lady or the Tiger? - Frank Stockton, Odin's A+ Parenting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-08
Updated: 2014-09-08
Packaged: 2018-02-16 16:07:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2276049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mythwine/pseuds/Mythwine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thor must prove himself worthy of being a king, and he won't be getting any help from his family.  Dark AU, pre-movie (not childhood, though).</p>
            </blockquote>





	No Good Choice

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Rotten At the Heart](https://archiveofourown.org/works/773087) by [Coneycat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Coneycat/pseuds/Coneycat). 



> Inspired by this prompt and the 3 lovely fills it has garnered: Stained Blue, Red as Blood, and Rotten at the Heart  
> http://norsekink.livejournal.com/11337.html?thread=27477833#t27477833
> 
> Warning: Very dark moral dilemma. I wanted to explore some possible outcomes and motivations not included in the prior fills, so here is a *fourth* version!

No Good Choice

***

Thor tried not to fidget under his brother’s stare. If Loki could see through his confidence to discover how nervous he was, then surely their father would see it, too. He had not been named heir just yet, and it would be just like him to ruin things at the last minute. It wasn’t official, anyway. His tutors had stressed that a boy could not be named heir to the throne of Asgard. Only a warrior who had proven himself capable of defending the realm was worthy of such an honor. But Thor was a blooded warrior, not a boy, and he had fought to defend Asgard. Or, well, he had fought in skirmishes to defend his friends, who were noble warriors of Asgard themselves. It was nearly the same thing.

“Stop scowling,” Loki said suddenly, interrupting his thoughts. He looked up to meet his brother’s too-sharp grin, pausing in his work.

“Be happy for me, brother,” he said when Loki looked away. 

“But of course – why wouldn’t I be?” Loki asked, his smile and obsequious manner both false. 

“You know I would be happy for you, if Father were to – ”

Loki cut him off with a wave. “A noble sentiment, to be sure, but quite impossible. Brothers cannot light each other’s funeral pyres, no matter how much they might care for one another.”

Thor paused to puzzle that one out. “But tell me truly,” he asked, “Do you begrudge me today?”

“If I did, would you beg off?” Loki countered, and Thor glanced away.

“Ah, I rather thought not. No, brother, I do not begrudge you your spotlight nor your moment of pomp and circumstance. I am much happier on the sidelines.”

Thor shook his head. Loki sounded so sincere, but he knew what his brother begrudged him. Not this one day perhaps, no, but for years he had complained that Father favored Thor. Thor had always said that it was simply because he was older. He got to do things first, but Loki would have his turn. But today that was not the case. Thor would be named Crown Prince; Loki would not. 

Thor put down the rag he had been using to polish his armor to a high gleam. “Loki, if anything ever happens to me, our people will need you. Do not become too accustomed to the sidelines.” 

Thor meant that as encouragement, but Loki smiled wryly. “Let us hope it never comes to that,” he said. Thor clasped his shoulder, and Loki made a sound of displeasure, sidestepping the dirty hand. “Are you trying to blind them to your inadequacies?” Loki said pointedly. 

Thor laughed at him. “Inadequacies? I am the match of any warrior in Asgard!” he boasted. His armor was perhaps bright enough, though.

A servant knocked and entered. He frowned when he saw Thor cleaning his own armor, but said nothing about it. “Prince Loki, it is time. You are needed in the throne room.”

Loki rolled his eyes. “Yes, yes, I can rehearse where to stand yet again if it pleases Mother,” he said flippantly. 

Thor thought that unfair, as they had not been made to rehearse for this ceremony at all, though their mother did usually try to make them practice ever since the disastrous public appearance where he and Loki had caused a disturbance with their unconstrained giggles. That was entirely Loki’s fault, of course. Their father was droning on and on, and when Thor frowned over a word he did not know (who used ‘incontrovertible’ in a speech, anyway?), Loki had leaned over and whispered ‘inevitable’ in his ear. It was a game, of sorts, Loki ‘translating’ the Allfather’s speech, and then improving upon it. Odin had said “live and die,” and Loki had rolled his eyes and whispered, “fight and fuck.” That was too much for Thor, who had snorted in laughter. The whole debacle had ended in embarrassment, and their mother had scolded them both for their carelessness afterwards, calling their behavior dishonorable. And to be fair, it was likely out of place at a solemn occasion meant to honor the noble dead. She probably just wanted to make sure Loki was presentable this time, but that was pointless, as he always preened and looked impeccable for such public events. Sidelines. Thor snorted at the thought. At least childish antics were in the past for both of them now, though. Thor had memorized the oath that would be required of him this day, and Loki looked fine. 

As Loki turned to go with one last over-bright smile, the servant turned back. “Prince Thor, the All-Father would remind you to carry no weapon into the Throne Room this day.” 

Thor nodded. “I remember,” he assured him. That detail had struck him as odd, since he was to stand before the Assembly as a warrior when he took his oath to defend Asgard, but the All-Father had insisted. 

And with that, Thor was alone in his room with his polished armor. He scowled. Now that his brother was gone, he was feeling nerves, as loathe as he was to admit it. Ah well, they would go away once everything started, he was sure. He was ready for this. He was. 

***

When the doors to the Throne Room opened, Thor entered to cheers. He marched forward confidently, a wide smile on his face, and soaked in the adulation of his people. He would not look too closely to see who had come and who was missing. No need to spoil the moment. But no sooner had he told himself that then he looked to the front…and nearly faltered. He did not break his stride, but his smile slipped away. Odin All-Father, King of Asgard, was seated on his throne. But his mother was not standing at her place beside the throne, and Loki was nowhere in sight. Uneasily, Thor tried to hide his disquiet, kneeling at the place beneath the throne and awaiting his Father’s word to rise. He did not receive it, so he remained kneeling throughout the opening speech. He took it as a minor test of endurance and focused on not fidgeting, barely listening to the words. Something about honor and history and loyalty to the Nine Realms. Or was that peace? Whatever. He repeated the words of the oath when they got to that part, smiling up at his father as he made his promises. 

His father gestured for him to rise, but he spoke not of making him heir to the throne yet. Thor wondered what the cause for delay might be. 

“A king is deemed prudent,” Odin said, “when he has two sons. An evil chance in boyhood may rob him of his heir. But when these sons grow to manhood, his prudence is then judged as folly, for those same sons will bring nothing but strife if they contest the throne.”

Thor frowned. He and Loki weren’t fighting! Well, true, they had fought just that morning, but that was squabbling over breakfast, not plunging the realm into civil war over who took the last of the bacon or scones. Loki did not resent that Thor would be heir to the throne; they’d talked this over already. 

“And so,” Odin continued, “A wise king will have more than one son, but no brothers when he ascends the throne. My father, King Bor, assured that his sons fought each other until only I remained, before naming me his heir. Today, I would name my son Thor heir to the throne of Asgard and Crown Prince, but I will not leave him a rival claimant to breed chaos before he even takes his birthright.” 

Thor had thought he would be happier when he heard his Father proclaim those words, but he did not smile. People would mistrust Loki after such a speech! Unless…there were another part of the ceremony? Did Odin intend for Loki and Thor to duel for the throne publically? If so, it had been rather cruel to Loki not to mention this in advance, as Thor naturally had the advantage. But perhaps their Father did not wish for Loki to come up with some elaborate scheme. By not warning him, he had practically declared Thor the victor and his heir, which was what Thor wanted, but not at the cost of publicly humiliating his brother. Loki would resent this, and be out of sorts for days. Thor would most certainly be made to pay for this later. Loki did not mind losing to Thor, in a fair fight, but it was a different matter when it was in public like this. Though the injunction not to bring a weapon made more sense now. 

Odin gestured, and the doors at the back of the hall opened once again. Thor spun around, and his mouth fell open in shock to see his brother led in, chained and flanked by guards. The crowd did not cheer him as they had Thor, but murmured loudly, abuzz with curiosity. They were acting as though Loki were guilty of plotting for the throne, but he’d done nothing! He turned back to face their Father, intending to protest, but the look on his Father’s face brought him up short. He seemed grimly amused, an expression Loki was fond of shortly before Thor discovered one of his tricks. There was more to this, and he would not be wise to protest before he understood the full purpose of this pantomime. Had it merely been one of his brother’s mad schemes, Thor would have called him out, not worrying whether or not he looked a fool. But this was not simply the punchline to some joke or some secret that Thor was ignorant of. With their Father… it was wiser not to speak too soon. 

Thor glared at Odin, letting his fury with the situation be known, but held his tongue for now. He would protest, just as soon as he figured out what was happening. Odin met his glare, seemingly unaffected, and Thor turned away to look at Loki – Loki was understandably furious. He was frowning deeply, his usual ‘public appearance’ face nowhere to be seen. But as he came closer, Thor realized that something was…off. He stumbled when he reached the base of the stairs, next to Thor, and when Thor met his eyes, they were vague, his expression more lost than angry. Thor wanted to shake his shoulder to snap him out of it, but he just clenched his fists at his side. 

“Oh, hello, Thor,” Loki said, blinking at him. He sounded drunk, which was odd, because Loki didn’t usually sound drunk even when he was. 

Thor had thought he was angry before. Now he was incensed. If he was going to be made to fight a…a chained, possibly drunk, Loki, in public, just to prove his worthiness for the throne….

“What is wrong with you?” Thor hissed at Loki. This was _wrong_. Everything about today was wrong, and he did not like it. 

“Ah. I’m sorry. I’m a bit…out of it?” Loki offered. “Mother gave me something to drink, and I’m afraid it’s gone to my head.” He smiled apologetically at Thor, and then giggled. 

“Don’t blame Mother for your antics,” Thor muttered back. Thor looked around for their Mother, and saw that she had entered after Loki. She had not come forward with him, but was standing at the back, by the door. Surely she wouldn’t have allowed Loki to get drunk before the ceremony? She wouldn’t ruin his day that way. But then, it was just like Loki to find a way around her fussing. 

And then the Allfather made it worse.

He raised his hand, and the murmuring that had begun at Loki’s appearance died down. After a beat of silence, the Allfather spoke. “I have made it appear to all the Nine Realms that I have had two sons, an heir and a spare as they so meanly put it. But that is not the case. I have but one son, and he is my heir, as he will demonstrate today.”

Loki looked up at that, frowning in confusion. “Wait,” he said. He sounded like a child to Thor, baffled by the grownups talking over his head. 

“Loki,” Odin said, “You are not my son. You are not even of Asgard. You are a prisoner of war.”

He reached out with Gungnir, and Loki…Loki’s skin melted away, turning a hideous blue. The silent respect for the Allfather’s words was broken with gasps of fear and surprise. “No,” Loki said, staring at his hand. “No. This…this isn’t real. It can’t…it can’t be true. That’s impossible.”

“Loki, son of Laufey, you were born an enemy of Asgard.”

“No!” Thor said. His fists were clenched and he felt…he felt tricked and duped and made the fool. Odin was lying, he had to be, putting on some elaborate spectacle for who knew what reason. “Enough of your lies and illusions!” 

“No illusion is this,” Odin said impassively, frowning at Thor’s outburst. “I found Loki as a babe at the end of the war, abandoned and left to die. I brought him here and gave him a chance at life. But he is no son of mine; he is a frost giant foundling.”

“Away with him!” came a shout from the audience. “Send him back to Jotunheim!” came another voice.

The monster, er, Loki was staring at his hands in growing horror. He shook them a few times, as if trying to cast off what had been done, but…nothing changed. 

“Is it…is it true?” Thor asked him.

Loki blinked, not looking at Thor. “It…it can’t be true,” he whispered, voice pleading, and he sounded so very, very young in that moment. 

The Allfather ignored them both, and turned back to his throne. “Come here, my son,” he beckoned. Thor obeyed, looking at Loki who was now looking up at the Allfather in naked despair.

Odin drew a sword from the throne, and presented it hilt first to Thor. Thor reached for it, and paused. “What is this?” he asked.

“Prove yourself a king,” Odin answered in a quiet voice.

Thor accepted the blade, trying to figure out how to get out of this disastrous mess. He now wished this day had never arrived. 

“The final task for the heir to the throne to complete is to slay any surviving rival claimants.” The Allfather gestured at Loki. “There is a rival claimant, and enemy of Asgard. Hold to the oath you have so lately sworn, and prove you will defend the realm.”

Loki’s gaze shifted to Thor. “No! Brother, no, I…I…I renounce all claim to the throne. I’ll swear loyalty to Asgard. To you. I promise!”

“You name him brother? You seal your fate, Loki. I thought you more clever than that.” The Allfather sounded disappointed, but the assembly _laughed_ ; they dared to laugh. Loki snarled and turned, flinging green mage fire to silence them.

“Stop!” Thor commanded him, and Loki stopped, panting for breath, eyes wild. Thor hurried down the steps of the dias, but halted two paces from his brother, still standing above him. “Loki,” he said, reaching out a hand. 

“Don’t touch me!” Loki said, flinching back away from him. 

_Think!_ Thor had to think, to find a solution to this mess, a way through this madness. Loki was not in his right mind, drugged to stupidity, and in shock. There would be no help from him. And their Father still stood by his throne, grim and silent, looking down on them. Thor looked at Loki, and he saw a strange new monster, not the brother he had always known. And yet…and yet, when Loki had pled with him, it was his voice. Thor knew him, and suddenly he knew what he must do. 

“Prove myself a king,” he said softly, and saw fear in Loki’s eyes. 

“No! Don’t do it, Thor, please no, you know I will listen, I’ll do as you say, just don’t kill me!” His begging was pitiful, and Thor knew the assembled citizens of Asgard were not judging him kindly for that. But this was not about them.

“No, Loki. A king does not slay a defenseless man, nor condemn a guiltless prisoner,” Thor said with conviction. Then, louder, so his voice would reach all in the hall, he announced, “A king is sworn to protect his people and to uphold justice. Here is one of my people, and as I am heir to the throne, I will defend him against all here present who would do him harm.”

Thor knew this was not enough to salvage the situation. But surely this was the way to pass the test. Because the thought of killing his own brother, while he was weakened and in chains, unarmed….that was shamefully dishonorable. And his tutors had been very clear on the importance of honor in ruling a kingdom. Pleased with his solution, he glanced up at his father, and was greeted with a frown of disappointment. He faltered, for a moment. But no, a king must have conviction, and not seek approval to do what he must. 

This final test, to prove himself an heir…he would have to take a risk, that made sense. He was now sure of himself, sure he had chosen correctly. And so when Odin asked, “Is that your final decision?” Thor nodded decisively. 

“I have learned your lessons well, Father,” he added.

“But I am still king,” the Allfather replied, “And I command that the Jotun not leave this room alive.”

Loki wailed, and Thor blanched. Not a test of wit, then, but a test of strength. Loki was useless in his current state, and there were half a score armed guards between them and the door. Thor would be confident of his ability to fight his way through, but the crowd had grown even more restless. They were now calling for Loki’s blood rather than his banishment. 

Thor called for Mjölnir, but she was far away and time was running out. Loki would die here in this room if he did not _do something._ “I will slay any man who raises a weapon against my brother Loki!” Thor shouted, brandishing his sword as if he meant business. 

“Thor…..” Loki said. “We’re both going to die here.” He sounded frightened.

“Not if I can help it,” Thor growled. But he had only a sword, and the guards carried spears. Already, they were moving into position, flanking him. He reached for Loki’s arm, attempting to grab him and make a run for it, but as soon as he did he cried out in pain.

“Loki, what are you doing?” he yelled at him desperately.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to!” Loki’s eyes were wide and fearful. Dammit, now was _not_ the time for uncontrolled magic!

Finally, Mjölnir answered his call, whistling as it cut through the air and the open door, tantalizingly far away. The guards looked away to see her approach, and Thor took that opportunity. He swung the sword, cutting Loki’s chains that bound his wrists loosely together, and thrust the hilt of the sword into his brother’s hand. 

“Defend yourself,” he said as Mjölnir landed in his palm, the first action that felt _right_ since he had entered the throne room and noticed the absence of his brother and mother.

“We can’t fight off all of Asgard!” Loki said in despair.

“You have a better plan?” Thor asked him in exasperation. He was _trying_ his best to get this right. He swung his hammer at the guards standing between him and the exit, and they wisely backed away. 

Thor spared a glance at the side door, the one that would mean he would not have to run the gauntlet of the citizens, but…the door was closed, and the guards who were stationed there had not joined the others in trying to stop him. Those doors could be barred from either side, so there was a risk he would be trapped against them if they tried to exit that way. 

Loki howled again, making some unaesir noise that made the hair stand up on Thor’s neck, and he spun around to see that the guards had gotten closer, hedging them in. 

Down came Mjölnir, and everyone standing nearby toppled to the floor, the bottom step to the dais cracking into pieces. Loki had fallen over too, so Thor hauled him to his feet, intending to make a run for it. He yelped in pain instead. “Stop doing that!”

“I’m not _doing_ anything!” Loki shrieked back. “Stop touching me!”

Thor blinked at him, looking at the alien skin. Loki wasn’t burning him with magic. He was…he was _freezing_ him. He truly was a frost giant! 

And in that moment of inattention, a spear caught Thor in the back of his shoulder. The guards were back on their feet. They had to leave, _now_. He wanted to grab his brother and take to the air with Mjölnir, but he couldn’t touch Loki. The guards did not seem eager to fight him, though, so perhaps if he remained defiant he could manage to get them out alive. Surely none of the citizens of Asgard, noble or common, would dare attack him? 

“Loki, go, now!” Thor shouted, and knocked a path through the guards with his hammer. He was hurting them, he knew, but he hoped the damage was nothing too serious. It was not their fault Odin had given them the order, after all. 

Thor took maybe five steps down the previously clear walkway, and then glanced back to make sure that Loki was following. The guards were merely hedging him in, but they were making actual strikes against his brother. He had to clear a way out of here! But now, as they entered the gauntlet between them and the open doorway, the restless crowd’s murmuring turned to loud shouts, and they did not remain in place, but surged towards them. Or, towards Loki. Thor ignored their shouts – it was all a dull roar of obscenities and taunts anyway, so there was no reason to listen. But there was no way they could make a run for it through so many people. 

He shouted to be heard. “I gave my word – I will slay any man who strikes my brother Loki this day! Let us pass!” Some members of the crowd fell back, fearful and unarmed as they were, which was the only purpose of his threat. But Loki, who was walking backwards to stay close to Thor while keeping an eye on his own assailants, stumbled, and the crowd surged forward again. They were going to be boxed in if they didn’t keep moving!

Thor called down a lightning strike, which only hit the roof, but the sound of it again frightened the crowd back. Loki snarled, and a blade of ice grew on his arm. Thor was disquieted. His…his brother was a monster. How…how could that be? But when someone came at Loki, he threw Mjölnir hard enough to hear bone crunch. “Keep moving!” he ordered.

“I’m trying, you fool,” Loki spat. “You need to _go._ ” They were maybe halfway down the aisle now. It had not seemed so long when he walked in earlier! 

The crowd was restless, upset, even angry…but they weren’t yet murderous, and they weren’t armed. As long as they kept going forward, they would get out of this room, and then… And then… Thor hadn’t really thought about what to do next. He just had to get away from here!

Just as they reached the door, it closed. Thor came up abruptly short. “Loki!” he said, turning. “Stay close!” He looked around for another exit. 

Loki’s eyes widened, and he scrabbled desperately at his throat. Then he fell to his knees, and Thor reached for him. Jotun blood was not bright red, it was a strangely dark color. And the only reason Thor knew this was because it was pumping out of the cut where the blade was imbedded in Loki’s neck. 

“No!” Thor shouted, reaching for the blade. Loki desperately shook his head and batted him away, trying to hold the cut closed with his other hand. His mouth opened, to speak, but no sound came out. And Thor, Thor could not touch him. Loki made a few gasping sounds, and slid down onto the floor, his limbs still spasming. Desperate, Thor wrenched out the knife and covered the wound with his hand. The pain seared him, but he stubbornly held on as long as he could. “Loki,” he sobbed. “Oh, Loki, I am sorry, I am sorry for everything, brother.” 

Loki’s body went still. The blood no longer pulsed against Thor’s hand. He removed it. The room was strangely quiet and still. And then Thor looked up to see who had killed Loki. “Who threw that knife?” he demanded of the crowd around him, and they shrunk back in fear of his wrath. He stood up. “Who?!” he shouted louder. 

“I did.”

Thor met his mother’s gaze in horror. She stood before the closed door of the hall, a throwing knife in her hand. She…she had been the one to give Loki that drugged drink. And she had waited here, until they had almost made it out. 

“No!” Thor roared in anger. He would not, could not, believe that his mother, who had always indulged Loki, always let him get away with his tricks, would do such a thing.

Without thinking, Thor raised Mjölnir and took a step closer to her, ignoring the pain as his brittle palm cracked when he tightened his fist. “Why?” he asked. 

“It was his time to die. A true king would have seen that,” she said. 

With a shout, Thor let his anger bubble over, and moved to strike his own mother for that. 

His blow never landed. For Odin was not content to watch everything passively, and no citizen of Asgard was permitted to raise a weapon against her Queen. The blast from Gungnir took Thor in the back, and he dropped Mjölnir in surprise. He did not even have time for a last word. 

***

The people of Asgard were shocked, and would be talking of the death of the princes for years to come. But now Frigga and Odin stood alone in an empty hall, watching the evening come to the Golden Realm. 

“Did you think he would pass the test?” Frigga asked her husband.

He sighed. “I had hoped so, but he was still too young and idealistic.”

“It was not I who so often spoke to him of honor and nobility,” she told him. 

“No,” he agreed. “He would have made a foolish king.”

“Mmm,” she murmured, hand resting on her belly. 

Odin stepped behind her, and embraced her. “Surely our son will not be so reckless.”

“No. My son will grow up with the cautionary tale of his elder brother. Whatever faults he may have, he will not make that error.”

***

“Loki?” Thor asked, tentative.

“They have replaced us, I see,” his brother said bitterly. The shock and confusion of earlier had worn off. They had watched their bodies being dragged away, and eventually Thor had figured out that that awful pain of being torn to shreds was death, and that he was an unhoused spirit now. 

“How strange, that we will have a brother we never knew.”

“You will, or half of one, anyway; apparently, a child of Frigga and Odin is no brother to me.”

“I am your brother!” Thor insisted. 

Loki smiled. “Good then that you are not a child of Frigga and Odin.”

“I’m…not?” Thor asked in puzzlement. 

“How did you miss that?” Loki asked in exasperation. “The entire reason for this farce of a ceremony was to dispose of us because we are not Frigga’s children.”

“What?!” Thor shouted. “Take that back!”

Loki just sighed. “You can’t tackle me, not like this. And are you really going to claim that she is your mother after all of this? She shut the door and trapped us.”

“I-“ Thor paused. “Really? Then…who is my mother?”

Loki shrugged. “Some beautiful whore, probably.”

Thor did try to punch his brother then, but it was ineffective and not satisfying in the slightest. 

“Thank you,” Loki said quietly.

“For what?” Thor asked, confused.

“You didn’t leave me in there alone,” Loki said. “I thought you would.”

“I couldn’t. There was a crowd…”

Loki just shook his head, smiling. “You had Mjölnir; you could have escaped at any time. But you stayed with me. You great fool.”

“Do…do frost giants go to Valhalla, do you think?” Thor asked. 

“I don’t know,” Loki answered. “I suppose we’ll find out. I was slain in battle, after all.”

Thor nodded. “Good. If today had to be our last, then I am glad we are together and never need return to Asgard again.”

*** *** ***  
THE END

**Author's Note:**

> This line from astolat's "Revelations" strongly inspired my characterization of Thor here: "In the end, there was still Thor: Thor, who shone as noble and untouched by malice as Odin had so desperately pretended to be."
> 
> I do apologize for evil!stepmom!Frigga. I don't think she's like this at all, but she had to fit the culture in this AU. I imagine she and Odin are getting a *very* different Balder in this version too!


End file.
